Clinical aspects of pregnancy-related lymphocytic hypophysitis

Abstract

Objective: To analyze clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of pregnancy-related lymphocytic hypophysitis (LyH). Methods: The clinical data of 16 cases diagnosed as pregnancy-related LyH at Chinese PLA General Hospital between October 2010 and November 2019 were reviewed. Results: Sixteen patients were included (aged 20-40 years). All patients' symptoms occurred from the last 2 months of pregnancy to 12 months postpartum, with 6 cases in the third trimester and 10 cases during postpartum, and all the patients were diagnosed after delivery. Six patients had lymphocytic adenohypophysitis (LAH), 4 patients had lymphocytic infundibuloneurohypophysitis (LINH), 4 patients had lymphocytic panhypophysitis (LPH), and 2 had lymphocytic hypothalamitis. Eight patients presented with symptoms of intracranial space-occupying lesions, 14 patients had symptoms of anteriorpituitary hormone deficiencies, 9 patients had central diabetes insipidus (CDI), and 2 had hyperprolactinemia. Pituitary MRI showed that the pituitary presented with diffuse enlargement, pituitary stalk thickening, disappearing of high-intensity signals in posterior pituitary and space-occupying lesions in the infundibulum of hypothalamus. Nine patients were treated with immunosuppressive agent, 3 patients alleviated the space-occupying effects after surgery, and 4 patients recovered spontaneously. Fourteen patients were followed up with a period of 3-98 months. Four patients had a relapse, 2 patients had a complete remission, and 12 patients needed long-term hormone replacement therapy. Conclusions: Clinical manifestations of pregnancy-related LyH are diverse. LyH should be suspected in pregnant or postpartum women with a sellar mass to avoid missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Immunosuppressant therapy is effective. Overall, LyH patients have a favorable prognosis.